Serious Tariff Question (2 Viewers)

[Andanna]

Thank you, George. I agree that these two events (termination of distribution and cessation of direct exports into the US) are not connected.

 

[Julie]

Please keep politics and speculation off of this thread (and any for that matter) going forward.
I will delete and close.

Julie

 

[Warrior]

Someone close to John Jenkins (and active on this forum) posted last night on FB that John is suspending sales into the US as long as the tariff is as high as 140%. This is now the second toy soldier producer after Xuan Hua.

The tariff is now 245%.

And manufacturers aren't suspending anything, the dealers/importers cannot sustain this tariff rate, no way, no how, finagle it all you want, no way around such a number like that.

 

[Alexander the Great]

At 245% we are talking $208 per figure from $85. Like George said, lights out!

 

[Panzer ace]

The tariff is now 245%.

And manufacturers aren't suspending anything, the dealers/importers cannot sustain this tariff rate, no way, no how, finagle it all you want, no way around such a number like that.

245%?

The good thing is after some short term pain we will all be worse off.

Hobby: an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure;

Now my hobby offers no relief from the daily price increases and inflation that were the hallmark of the past administration.

 

[jazzeum]

245%?

The good thing is after some short term pain we will all be worse off.

Hobby: an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure;

Now my hobby offers no relief from the daily price increases and inflation that were the hallmark of the past administration.

245 = normal price plus 145.

Re: your last comment, Julie, above, asked us to keep politics off the forum. Let’s try to honor her request.

 

[Warrior]

From what my finance guy told me, the 245% only applies to one category, by all appearances, it "looks" like toy soldiers and other such items are at 145%.

Not great news, but at least somewhat hopeful; as they say, hope is the Mother of all men.

 

[bridport]

245 = normal price plus 145.

Re: your last comment, Julie, above, asked us to keep politics off the forum. Let’s try to honor her request.

But with respect, these tariffs are happening BECAUSE of politics.

That is clear to all.

Politics is the reason why US importers and dealers will suffer.

Politics is why the global economy will suffer.

Its difficult for sentient adults to be able to discuss tariffs whilst covering our eyes and ears to the root cause.

I’m not being political.

Just stating facts.

 

[Jumper]

But with respect, these tariffs are happening BECAUSE of politics.

That is clear to all.

Politics is the reason why US importers and dealers will suffer.

Politics is why the global economy will suffer.

Its difficult for sentient adults to be able to discuss tariffs whilst covering our eyes and ears to the root cause.

I’m not being political.

Just stating facts.

True

 

[Horus]

Just heard there are calls in the UK to stop allowing duty-free imports as a way of stopping companies like Shein and Temu having undue advantage.
Stopping Chinese companies having the advantage of being able to use Western postal services at a vastly reduced rate to send their goods compared to Western postal services and all being subsidised by us !

 

[jazzeum]

But with respect, these tariffs are happening BECAUSE of politics.

That is clear to all.

Politics is the reason why US importers and dealers will suffer.

Politics is why the global economy will suffer.

Its difficult for sentient adults to be able to discuss tariffs whilst covering our eyes and ears to the root cause.

I’m not being political.

Just stating facts.

But politics are not allowed here although Julie has been lenient at times. We should respect her wishes.

 

[Jumper]

Just heard there are calls in the UK to stop allowing duty-free imports as a way of stopping companies like Shein and Temu having undue advantage.
Stopping Chinese companies having the advantage of being able to use Western postal services at a vastly reduced rate to send their goods compared to Western postal services and all being subsidised by us !

Look at it from another perspective …….APPLE manufactures the iPhone for less then 15 USD for each unit in China. It costs even less when manufactured in India ! We pay 1500 USD for an iPhone ! Are we subsidizing big corporations ? Are we paying a justified price ? Why can’t I repair my iPhone when it’s broken ? Why does Apple refuse to share blueprints of its products so independent engineers can repair a faulty device ? Why can’t I change the battery of my smartphone when it’s finished and have to buy a new one ? Where is all the extra money going ? Where is my right to repair my own property ?

But no ……TEMU and SHEIN are the evil ones ….because they are offering us items at 20% of the price I would have to pay if I buy it from the big corporations ..the ones who repeatedly lobby and bribe our politicians to make them richer !

 

[Barkmann]

Look at it from another perspective …….APPLE manufactures the iPhone for less then 15 USD for each unit in China. It costs even less when manufactured in India ! We pay 1500 USD for an iPhone ! Are we subsidizing big corporations ? Are we paying a justified price ? Why can’t I repair my iPhone when it’s broken ? Why does Apple refuse to share blueprints of its products so independent engineers can repair a faulty device ? Why can’t I change the battery of my smartphone when it’s finished and have to buy a new one ? Where is all the extra money going ? Where is my right to repair my own property ?

But no ……TEMU and SHEIN are the evil ones ….because they are offering us items at 20% of the price I would have to pay if I buy it from the big corporations ..the ones who repeatedly lobby and bribe our politicians to make them richer !

Just heard there are calls in the UK to stop allowing duty-free imports as a way of stopping companies like Shein and Temu having undue advantage.
Stopping Chinese companies having the advantage of being able to use Western postal services at a vastly reduced rate to send their goods compared to Western postal services and all being subsidised by us !

All this is called Capitalism, i agree we do need to stop the cheaper postal services, which was established to support a young Chinese manufacturing industry in the 1970s and early 80s, but i do not think anyone can argue that anymore. It was the companies in the USA and Western Europe who moved to China, to make more money and cheap goods such as Temu and Shein which are the 'drug' of the masses in the western world keeping people happy, buying more C**p.

The comment on iPhone on cost is not the true reflection, as phones do not grow naturally to be harvested [but a lot of the metals in there have to be mined], they have to be developed, as well as the infrastructure to support them, although i do think that is expensive for a phone, but they are another 'drug' for the masses. There has been decades of research and development, put that together with the cost of infrastructure required, satelites, servers, software, security, streaming services, apps, search engines, etc, investors and shareholders who took the risk and invested, then finally the people and resources working on the phone you will be buying in 2026 and beyond. For every new successful innovation there are many failure, think of the tech that has been developed and ended up on the scrape heap as it just was not good enough, that has to be paid for as well. It is called a Smart phone for a reason, Imagine going back to even the 1980s and telling someone about the tech you have now.....mindblowing.

I hear the same arguement about prices and trades people. With people complaining he was only here an hour and charged me 100, 200, 300 [$ or£ or €]. you are not paying for that hour, you are paying for their expertise and skill [not forgetting the time he took to get to you]. We live in a world where many people see the price of everything and not the value. Back to the phone, the price is not for the just a small lump of metal, the value is in what it allows you to do and that is worth the cost. Buying the phone pays for all the other hidden stuff.

 

[Julie]

Yes tariffs are political, but calling out specific politicians and people in charge and other various attacking types of posts will be deleted.

You can opt to keep this clean or I can shut it down while I attempt some time with my family this weekend and take a breather from all of the stress.

Julie

 

[Warrior]

Yes tariffs are political, but calling out specific politicians and people in charge and other various attacking types of posts will be deleted.

You can opt to keep this clean or I can shut it down while I attempt some time with my family this weekend and take a breather from all of the stress.

Julie

Hang in there Miss Julie...................

 

[Barkmann]

I think a pause on the forum on tariffs might be good for us all. Too much speculation, i think it is a concensus that they are a bad thing. You should wait to see what happens to prices, if they have stayed the same then that is a win, if not and they rise then each individual collector will have a decision to make on whether to buy or not to buy, or looking at 'back filling' with older sets. Now is the time to support your US Dealers, pick up a couple of older sets you have always been meaning to buy. As the old saying goes 'Use it or lose it', without the dealers collecting will be harder and not as much fun.

Outside the TS issues on the forum, on a macro level, for the US treasury the tariffs, paid by the US Importer, will be a massive increase in revenue for the government.......... wonder what they money you [in higher prices] and the dealers [for no added value] will pay, will be used for?

 

[Warrior]

I think a pause on the forum on tariffs might be good for us all. Too much speculation, i think it is a concensus that they are a bad thing. You should wait to see what happens to prices, if they have stayed the same then that is a win, if not and they rise then each individual collector will have a decision to make on whether to buy or not to buy, or looking at 'back filling' with older sets. Now is the time to support your US Dealers, pick up a couple of older sets you have always been meaning to buy. As the old saying goes 'Use it or lose it', without the dealers collecting will be harder and not as much fun.

Outside the TS issues on the forum, on a macro level, for the US treasury the tariffs, paid by the US Importer, will be a massive increase in revenue for the government.......... wonder what they money you [in higher prices] and the dealers [for no added value] will pay, will be used for? Think we all know.

Very valid point; what will all this money be used for and yes, what I and other dealers and thousands of other businesses have paid on tariffs thus far represents exactly zero added value, we all lit that money on fire and we'll never get it back.

No politics, just straight up facts.

 

[NZGary]

I think we are all hanging out to see if JJD releases for May, K&C at the end of the month etc. While I feel for US dealers and collectors I am pretty fed up and I don't get a vote.

We are all impacted by this debacle.

Gary

 

[Barkmann]

I think we are all hanging out to see if JJD releases for May, K&C at the end of the month etc. While I feel for US dealers and collectors I am pretty fed up and I don't get a vote.

We are all impacted by this debacle.

Gary

Agree - T Gunn stuff out next week as well.

 

[damian]

Well apart form a few "cottage manufacturers" almost all the major toy soldier companies make their product in China.
Without the huge US market none of these companies will survive long.
Will have to wait and see what happens.